When Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May mocked Mexicans in their introduction to a segment on a Mexican sports car – the Mastretta MXT, by the way – few in Mexico noticed, at first. Top Gear is not a programme found on local channels, few Mexicans watch British television, and the presenters' fame is mostly limited to the UK.

This mixed response from social network users and media commentators contrasted with a remarkably unified one from Mexico's political class. Legislators from the country's principal political parties issued a joint statement condemning the presenters' remarks and demanding an immediate apology, while Mexico City's tourism board is considering suing Top Gear and the BBC for damages incurred by the insults.

The response from the Mexican government had to be expected. A member of the county's foreign service had been singled out and humiliated, Mexico's cuisine – recently named a world treasure by Unesco – denigrated, and a product of Mexico's burgeoning car industry was portrayed with negative, dated stereotypes. While most of the controversy has centred on Richard Hammonds' description of Mexicans as "lazy, feckless, flatulent, [and] overweight", these words on their own aren't exactly "bigoted", "xenophobic" or "racist", as the Mexican ambassador's office declared (pdf). In truth, stereotypes like those used by Hammond are staples of Mexican-produced knick-knacks and the country's pop culture. Similar comments and stereotypes are also ubiquitous in American television programmes and movies. These are not normally met with condemnation from the Mexican government.

Surprisingly, the one comment that did suggest a particular vindictiveness or hatred toward Mexicans was largely ignored. "Imagine waking up and remembering that you're Mexican," said Hammond, making a face of disgust. This remark was thrown in at end of the series of mocking comments, but its implication – that being Mexican is shameful or embarrassing in its own right – shifts, for me, the whole register of the remarks. It's the contempt in that statement that really makes me wonder about the presenters' mentality.

The media's attention to "Top Geargate" will soon fade. One is left to ponder what the reaction would have been had Top Gear's presenters made similar remarks while reviewing a Pakistani-, Bangladeshi- or Jamaican-made car.

• Editor's note: This article mistakenly referred to Russell Hammond's remarks about Mexicans; this was amended at 10:30 (EST; 15:30 GMT) on 5 February 2011 to the Top Gear presenter's name, Richard Hammond.

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